What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

Polyphony in my practice... and it works!

Cipriano de Rore - Missa Praeter rerum seriem - Motets & Madrigaux
Huelgas-Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel



Music, already half a millennium old, that must bring piece everywhere it is being played.

[cma29]

Originally Posted by cma29

I got this 50-disc box for Christmas...

L'Oiseau-Lyre: The Baroque Era
Limited Edition



...which consists mostly of Christopher Hogwood's output for the L'Oiseau-Lyre label.

Disc #26 of 50 features

Bach, J C: 6 Overtures (1763)
The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood

Beautiful music, well played and recorded with a very appealing bloom.

[bart]

Smetana - String Quartets
Pavel Haas Quartet



Absolutely wonderful chamber music.
Well played, good sound.
2015 release.

[bart]

Heinrich Ignaz Biber - Violin Sonatas from the Kremsier Archive
Anton Steck - Hille Perl - Christian Rieger - Lee Santana



There is a Muffat piece on this nice disc too.
Discrete multi-channel recording.

[bart]

We decided to stay with Biber:

Biber - Rosenkranzsonaten



Daniel Sepec (violin)
Hille Perl (viola da gamba)
Michael Behringer (harpsichord)
Lee Santana (lute)

These 4 excellent musicians make a feast out of these works.
Very nice surround sound.

[Steady339]

Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, The Mozart Album, Lang Lang, piano, Wiener Philharmoniker, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

[bart]

Etienne De Liège - In Festo Sanctissimae Trinitatis
Psallentes, Hendrik Vanden Abeele



I grew up hearing Gregorian music almost every week in church.
It was the best part of the Holy Mass.
This is music in the same tradition, but it was not meant for churches.
Brought very well by one of our numerous good polyphonic ensembles.

[Toccata]

A powerful performance and wonderfully recorded in SACD audio.

[Gravity1]

Holst: The Planets, Op. 32



Is it just me or was anyone else shocked at how blatant Williams ripped off or "borrowed" so much of Planets for his Star Wars soundtrack? For many years I was unaware of Holst and when I finally came upon it, I felt as if I had uncovered evidence of a crime no one wanted outed publicly. When I searched it most critics would only acknowledge his "nod to Holst" as if it was a slight influence.

Had to get it out there.... Anyway moving on.

[cma29]

This Reference Recordings SACD looks tempting...



Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique'
Dvorak: Rusalka Fantasy (arr. Honeck/Ille)
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck (conductor)

It's being released May 13.